1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus to support a money discrimination function capable of determining whether a reading object to be printed is money or another type of object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a color-type image forming device based on an electronic-photo scheme scans an optical signal to a photosensitive medium charged with a predetermined electric potential, such that it forms an electrostatic latent image. This electrostatic latent image is developed with four toners (i.e., yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toners). The developed image is copied on a paper, such that a desired color image can be acquired.
The image forming apparatus has a scan function, such that it scans the color image with a scanner and outputs the color image using the scan function.
Recently, since a performance of the image forming apparatus increases, the possibility of generating a fraudulent user who scans real money or securities with a scanner to create counterfeit money is rapidly increasing.
In order to prevent the above-mentioned problems from being generated, the image forming apparatus has a money discrimination function to determine whether an object to be discriminated is money or not. The image forming apparatus equipped with the money discrimination function stops printing if it is determined that the object is money, or prints the image of the object in the form of a black-and-white image. Also, the image forming apparatus modifies the size of the original image of the money into another size, or prints a unique number on the printed money.
However, if the user desires to view a color copy of the money without the intention of fraudulently using the copy of the money as counterfeit money, it is impossible to color-print the money using the conventional image forming apparatus, or the original image of the money may be modified into an undesired image, resulting in greater inconvenience of use.